August 26, 2007
Sunday

CONGRATULATIONS -- Citizens of Ketchikan if this passes you must hold accountable the
Sponsors and signers of this initiative. If it passes a vote they will be correct in their own reasoning and vindicated in their own minds and still wrong, and in the misguided majority. That majority (if it happens to pass a vote) is unified in totally misunderstanding the position this town is in. if you think that anyone is going to benefit from their initiative you are as naive as you are optimistic.

You Mr. Ortega. (excuse me in advance for the spelling) and any of you signers of this position better be able to step up on the same soap box you are on now and set up a plan to replace the lost business you are going to create if this initiative passes, and help start, finance, build and maintain all off these mysterious businesses us locals are just waiting in the background for such an initiative to be enacted, to jump start us in the right direction. (Sarcasm if you missed that)

If you think that this silly initiative is going to all of a sudden spark up the interest in this industry that has been around for a decade of huge growth with little Local participation my belief is that you are 100 percent wrong. and you will negatively effect the outcome of the future financial viability of the downtown area by creating a discriminatory, random hostile business environment. One that is segregated and unfair in its practices to the only viable downtown industry we have. This action will not go unnoticed by the biggest single industry we have in the summer (Tourism) and with the option of PRINCE RUPERT not far off in the horizon and possibly a first stop for many tour boats, this would further strengthen Prince Rupert's marketable viability. There is so much more involved than just a few Jewelry stores and the ramifications so more far reaching than simply limiting free enterprise. We might as well hang a warning sign up across the bridge that is never going to be here (DO NOT TRY TO START A BUSINESS HERE) (sarcasm about the bridge if you missed that).

(This is only my opinion I am not representing any groups, organizations, clubs, political parties, or uninformed loosely associated radical, sentimental, nostalgic, individuals.) I speak only for myself and my opinions.

And my opinion is that this initiative if it is voted upon and passed is going to open up a lot of issues we as the taxpayers of this city will end up dealing with. And a problem us true locals will be dealing with long after many of the signers of this petition leave. Many signers who have not grown up here, and are short timers that have only been here ten or fifteen years and that are going to retire somewhere else are not going to have to deal with this. And the signers who have been here since day one of their birth and plan on being laid to rest here as I do ought to know better.

My opinion, and I am only speaking for myself, is support any and all businesses of any kind, do not discourage them and do not mark this town as a bigoted, backwards hick-town scared of change. The pulp mill days, fishing days, have gone away never to return, as with the long gone mining days and the days of Dolly's house. Trying to historically preserve a town that has been in constant transition since its inception is in and of itself an exercise in futility. Because there is no one single historical period to preserve except the First Nations that existed here for time immemorial. And is an example of a short timer's viewpoint, who do not know the history of this town. Industries have changed and those of us who want to make our homes and lives here for ourselves and our kids change with it.

Charles Edwardson
Potential Mayoral candidate for the next election.
Ketchikan, AK

Received August 25, 2007 - Published August 26, 2007

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